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May 20th, 2021

PORT IN A STORM

Global shipping is keeping the world economy afloat. It's already nearing a breaking point

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The Big Story

Port in a storm: No end in sight to global shipping chaos

Behind the relentless online boom, stranded seafarers and soaring rates

One and a half million seafarers, enough to populate a city, are keeping the global economy afloat -- but at a huge cost to themselves.
The restaurants, izakaya pubs and bars that emerge from Japan's COVID crisis will have to make do with fewer revelers as Japanese demographic and cultural shifts spell more trouble ahead for the hospitality industry. 
Asia Insight

Japan's 'izakaya' pubs buckle under COVID alcohol prohibition

Deprived of salarymen and tourists, worst is yet to come

A Revolution prefabricated home on display in Paris: The Philippine company and its founder, Robbie Antonio, made headlines with its promise to deliver quick-to-assemble luxury homes. (Source photo by courtesy of Revolution Precrafted)
Business Spotlight

As the Philippines' first unicorn stumbles, can 'camels' rise?

Revolution Precrafted becomes a cautionary tale for valuation-focused startups

SoftBank Group chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son speaks to Nikkei in Tokyo on May 13. (Photo by Masaru Shioyama)
Interview

SoftBank to expand Vision Fund portfolio to 500 companies, Son says

CEO takes lesson from Greensill failure but says 'Alibaba was also loss-making'

Indonesian startups Tokopedia and Gojek are creating one of Southeast Asia's biggest tech conglomerates. (Source photos by Dimas Ardian and Ken Kobayashi)
Technology

Gojek and Tokopedia announce Indonesia's 'largest ever' merger

Combined entity expected go public later this year under dual listing format

South Korea's semiconductor industry is a mainstay of its economy.
Semiconductors

South Korea plans to invest $450bn to become chip 'powerhouse'

Spending by Samsung and others, along with tax breaks, to boost competitiveness

Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and other Indian software service exporters have seen demand surge amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Business trends

Top Indian IT companies struggle to retain staff as demand grows

Infosys and TCS see margin pressure as salary hikes drive up costs

Relatively light pedestrian traffic in Tokyo's Ginza district reflects the gloomy economy during the state of emergency on April 29. (Photo by Yo Inoue)
Economy

Japan GDP shrinks annualized 5.1% in Q1

Resurgent COVID sets the economy back again after two quarters of growth

The planet Mars, shown here in an undated NASA image, is one focus of China's space program. (NASA/Reuters)
Politics

China lands rover on Mars, marking step in Xi's 'space dream'

Zhurong will spend three months on the red planet searching for signs of life

Soldiers wait to disinfect Taipei's Wanhua district, which has seen a concentration of coronavirus cases, on May 16.
Coronavirus

Taiwan's coronavirus spike: What went wrong?

Hotel cluster threatens success story as island logs 415 cases in three days

Military officials from France, Japan and the U.S. meet with reporters during joint exercises in Kyushu, in southwestern Japan, on May 15.
The Nikkei View

Indo-Pacific stability can be enhanced by European engagement

Nations that share democratic values should advance regional cooperation

An Indian policeman asks people who came for COVID-19 vaccine shots to leave due to exhausted supplies in Mumbai on May 3.
COVID vaccines

Vaccine patent waiver: COVID stopper or innovation killer?

Five things to know about India's proposal, US support and China's chance to gain

Jack Ma often claims Alibaba is not an e-commerce company but a data company.
Opinion

Big Tech is the regenerative starfish of our times

What does not kill today's tech giants will inevitably make them stronger

Colonial Pipeline's storage tank in Woodbridge, New Jersey: we hear on a regular basis of increasingly powerful attacks.
Opinion

Global rules against cyberattacks must be updated

Time to recognize that civilian and military targets are now perilously entwined

Chefs Andre Chiang, left, and DeAille Tam draw inspiration from their travels in China and the cultural connections they have made there. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by stargourmet, Alex Yu)  
Life

Star chefs rediscover gastro-roots

Travels in China yield rare ingredients, cultural reawakening and culinary inspiration

Once overflowing with the tourists, a beach on Thailand's renowned Railay Peninsula takes a rest as COVID-19 keeps most visitors away. (Photo by Sarah McLean) 
Tea Leaves

Could COVID-19 save Thailand's tourist-ravaged coast?

Lessons from Railay pit post-pandemic environmental resurgence against tourism imperative